Here’s the thing with productivity and self-improvement articles: They only work if you follow the advice. They don’t magically work if you simply read them, cross your fingers, and hope. You don’t get thinner by reading diet books. You don’t advance in your career by playing Candy Crush all day. And you don’t become more productive by scrolling Instagram.
If you are one of the many folks in New York that is a frequent reader of these kinds of books and articles, you know that the advice only works if you actually try out the things you read. Here’s the thing, though, self-improvement and productivity have recently taken a turn toward a kinder and gentler version of their former selves. And that’s okay . . . if you make sure you don’t take advantage of it.
New York readers of more recent articles and books on these subjects are more likely these days to find advice that urges them to listen to their bodies, to employ self-care-centered relaxation, to stop when they’re tired, to rest when their bodies need rest, and to pile on the spa days. Now, don’t get me wrong — I agree with all of this advice.
However, in New York, you cannot use this advice as an excuse to not perform at your highest level. I know this article is a little ranty, but hear me out. It is absolutely one thing to take care of your body and rest and meditate. It is a whole other thing to overuse self-care to tip the scales away from a healthy balance between achievement and recovery.
EARN IT
When I wake up, I want to stay in bed. So does everyone else in New York. I want to turn off the alarm(s), pull the covers back over my head, and sleep for another hour. I could easily tell myself that I need the rest and it’s super important for me to get enough sleep.
But guess what? I know that I already had 7.5 hours of sleep, so that whole “I need more sleep” thing is just an excuse. I also know deep down that if I get much more sleep, it will make me feel worse.
If I force myself to get up, write, and go for a run around New York, I feel so much better afterward. Why? Because working out is just as much self-care as meditation and bubble baths. And then I can give myself space and time to recover when I need it because I have used my muscles. The rest and recovery are so much sweeter when you know you have earned it.
The same thing goes for your brain. Zoning out exercises like video games and reality television are great . . . after a long day of using your brain in New York in constructive ways. Zone out when you have earned the right to zone out. Hold yourself to the highest level of achievement that you can reach, raise the bar every day just a little bit, and then you will never feel guilty again for rewarding yourself by watching Million Dollar Listing New York.
HOW TO KNOW
How do you know if you’re one of the many folks in New York that is taking good care of yourself and giving your body the rest and nurturing it needs while also holding yourself to a high standard?
Well, first, you can check in with your “shoulds”. If you, at any point, think, “I should get up now”, or “I should call my mom”, or “I probably shouldn’t eat this”, and you do it anyway, you’re most likely not being the best possible version of yourself.
You know what you need to do to achieve what you want to achieve. You know what you should be eating, how much you should be working out, how you should be spending your time, and, yes, how much you need to rest and recover. We just don’t all do it all of the time.
Being the most exceptional version of yourself isn’t easy. If it was, everyone else in New York would do it. Everyone would be fit and accomplished and running the New York Marathon and have doctorate degrees and be published authors. Guess what? All of the good things in life are not easily won. Hard work is what gets you where you want to be. The spa days are so much sweeter when you’ve earned them.